Spring suspension for vehicles.



RICHARDSON.

SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION men Dc.29. ISIS.

1,262,845. Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

um a an wi lmeoo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS RICHARDSON, F MANISTEE, MICHIGAN SPRING SUSPENSION FOB VEHICLES.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, THOMAS Rrorrannson, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Manistee, in the county of Maulstee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Suspensions for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawin s.

This invention relates to a spring suspem sion for vehicles and has special reference to a shock absorbing or cushioning device that may be used in conjunction with the ordinary springs of a vehicle, such as an automobile, or may be used entirely independent of the usual springs for so porting and cushioning a vehicle body re ative to the chassis or running ear thereof.

The primary object o my invention. is to rovide a yieldable support fora vehicle ody that includes primary and secondary cushioning means, the primary means corngensating for jars and vibrations incurred y ordinary travel u on comparatively smooth streets and roa s in oontradistinction to rou h streets or roads, and the secondary cus ioning means is brought into play when excessive jars and vibrations are incurred by rough traveling.

The rimary cushioning means includes op osed cylinders provided with pistons an resisting a compression or inward stroke of the pistons are springs and a liquid which is caused to flow through certain of the pietons before the secondar cushioning means is brought into action. he secondary cushioning means includes laminated springs adapted to resist pivoted members disposed to operate the prlmary cushioning -means.

A further object of my invention is to combine primary and secondary cushioning means for a vehicle body wherein the parts are assembled with a view of reducing the cost of manufacture and at the'same time retain those features by which durability, sim licity of construction and ease of assem ling are secured, and with such endsin view, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

Application filed December 29, 1916. Serial No. 139,659.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, whereinigure 1 is a side elevation of the spring suspension, partly broken away and partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows and Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of a rotatable roller.

In describing my invention by aid of the views above referred to, I desire to point out that the same are merely illustrative of a mechanical construction by which my invention may be put into practice, and I do not care to confine myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts show/nr The following description is therefiji itbfibe broadly construed as including such substitute constructions and arrangement of parts as are the obvious equivalent of those to be hereinafter referred to.

In the drawing, 1 denotes a portion of the vehicle frame, body or support movably held relative to a rear axle casing 2, and clamped or otherwise fixed upon this rear axle casing is a bracket 3 that serves functionally as a sprin percln The bracket 3 may be held by he ts 4, nuts 5 or other fastenings means and the ends of the brackets are provided with apertured ears 6. Pivotally mounted between the apertured ears 6 of the bracket 3 are inclined members 7 having outer ridge shaped or beveled faces 8. Contiguous to the upper ends of the members 7 are curved seat portions 9 and the extreme ends of said members have the confronting faces thereof provided with sockets or cups 10 to receive the end convolutions of a oompresare the apertured ears 14 of longitudinally alining opposed cylinders 15. As a matter of grooves 18.

rof ctrcumferentmlly economical construction, these cylinders may be made of a piece of tubing with the intermediate portions thereof, slotted, us at 16* so thatthe inclined members 7 and the compression members 12 may extend upwardly between confronting open ends ()f the cylin ders 15.

Slidable in the confronting open ends of the cylinders 15 are outer cupped pistons l7 having suitable packing rings or lubri not The outer closed ends of the pistons 17 are provided with hearings or upertured ears It) for tmnsvcrse pins 20 and rotatable upon said pins re sheaves or antifrictional roller-s21. l lurh roller has a ripherul outer beveled face of :in llit'lllltil member 8,

' the inclined nwmlu-r being held against the roller 21 by n compression member 12 and the spring 1.1. latch roller has a plurality arranged longitudinally disposed [ufilx't'iti 23 in communiration with ports 24 and 25, the former rlvtending to the periphery of the roller and the latter extending to the pin 20. Full or other lubricant holding material 2f). is placed in the pockets 23 and the ends of the pockets closed by pieces of cork 27 or other suitable plugs. From time to time a lubricantcan be placcd in the pockets 23 to insure a non-frictional rotation of the roller on the pin 20 nnd n non-frictional contact of the periphery of the roller With the beveled face of the inclined member 8.

Slidable I the cylinder 16 are inner ported pistons 28 having the ends thereof provided with guides or studs 29.

The outer ends of the cylinders 15 are provided with detachable cups 30 and ad justably in said caps are spring tensioning stems 151 having heads 32 within the cylinders. The heads 32 lmve guides or studs 33 and interposed. hot eon the heads 32 and the pistons 28 are coiled compression springs 34, while similur springs 35 or greater length are interposed between the pistons and the closed outer ends of the pistons ii. The detachable caps 30 permit of a suitable lubricant being placed in the cylinders 15 to insure an easy movement of the pistons 17 and 28 therein, :inll with the pistons 28 ported the luln-icantfiuay flow from one end of the cylinder to the opposite end thereof.

The elen'len'ts 15 to 35 inclusive constitute primary cushioning means, in conjunction with the inclined members 7, for the frame 1 or the vehicle body supported thereby. The primary cushioning means have the actionpf dash-pots in resisting an opening or spreading movement of the inclined members 7, and assuming, that a vehicle provided with a spring suspension is traveling on a smooth street or road, the springs ill and 35, and pistons 28 and 17 cooperate in cushioning the usual jars and vibrations of the eient to etlect the comprc V-shuped groove 2" to receive the frame 1. Any downward movement of the frame 1 causes the anti-frictional rollers 21 to leave the seat portions 9 of the inclined members 7 and travel down said members, but slight jars or vibrations are not sulli- :ion n'iembers 12, consequently the outer pistons 17 will yield, and transfer the jars or vibrations to the springs 35 and 34.

When rough and irregular roads are encountered which will subject the frame 1 to sire jars and vibrations, the compression members 12 are brought into action to resist it closing or inward moven'ient of the retaining members 7 as the mill-frictional rollers 21 travel down the inclined faces thereof. \Vhen subjected to successive jars and vibrations, and the nntifrictional rollers start to travelrlown the members 7, the outer pistons 17'are first shifted into en.- gragement with the inner pistons 28, with the springs under cou'ipression, and the lul'iricunt or oil within the cylinders 15 is caused to travel from one side of the pistons 28"to the opposite side, thus having a dashpot effect before the compression members 12 are brought into action to resist further movement. of the members 7 toward each other.

\Vhat I claim is p 1. In 'a spring suspensiornabracket adapted for attachment to a rear axle casing, inclined members pivotully connected to said bracket, cylinders adapted for attachment to a vehicleframe and adapted to contain oil, inner pistons in said cylinders adapted to have movement thereof resist: I by the oil in said cylinders, irimary cushioning means supported by said cylinders engaging the outer sides of said inclined members and adapted to engage said inner pistons, and a secondary cushioning means carried by said bracket and e gaging the inner sides of said inclined members.

2. In a spring suspension, cylinders adapted for attachment to a vehicle frame, inclined members extending between the confronting ends of said cylinders and adapted to be supported rlative to a rear axle cas ing. cushioning means in said cylinders normally engaging the outer sides of said inclincd members 'and successively brought into action to resist a spreading movement of said inclined members, and cushioning means between said inclined members retaining said members in engagement with the first mentioned cushioning means.

3. In a spring suspension. a bracket adapt ed to be supported by a vehicle chassis, pivotcd members carried by said bracket, cylinders adapted for attachment to a vehicle frame. anti-frictional rollers engaging the outer sides of said members, yieldable means in said cylinders supporting said anti-frietional rollers, and leaf springs having the lower ends thereof on said bracket and the upper ends thereof extending between said members and holding said members normally in engagement with saidanti-frictional rollers.

4. In a spring suspension, a bracket adapted for attachment to a vehicle chassis, pivoted inclined members carried by said bracket, 0 linders adapted for attachment to a vehic e frame and adapted to carry o'rl, spring pressed pistons in said cylinders cooperating with the oil therein in providing a dash pot action, anti-frictional rollers carried by some of said pistons and engaging said inclined pivoted members, and means carried by said bracket between said memoers and adapted to resist the movement of said members toward each other.

5. In a spring suspension, abracket adapted for attachment to a vehicle chassis, 1n-

clined members carried bgnslaid bracket, cylinders adapted for attac ent to a vehicle frame, inner and outer spring pressed pistons in said cylinders with said outer lpis tons disposed to engage said inner pistons, anti-frictional lubricated rollers carried by pistons of said c linders and enrs, and means the outer gaging said inclined mem between said members adapted to resists movement of said members toward each other.

6. In a spring suspension, the combination with a rear axle oaslng and a vehicle frame movable relative thereto, of a bracket mounted on said rear axle casing, pivoted inclined members carried by said bracket 0 posed cylinders connected to said ve ice frame and adapted to'carry oil, inner and outer sprin pressed istons in said cylinders with t e inner pistons ported to allow oil to low from one side thereof to the other side, anti-frictional rollers carried by the outer pistons and engagin said inclined members, means between sai members holding said members normally in engagement withsaid rollers,-and cushioning means between said members brought into action after movement oi said pistons to resist movement of said members toward each other.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN Ans'rm, Rosanna J. Gomsnonorron. 

